DENVER, CO – FEBRUARY 20: Maya Nelson of Denver East points to family and friends in the stands after her 13-9 win over Carl Camposanto of Regis during their 5A 106 pound match on the first day of Colorado High School State Wrestling February 20, 2014 Pepsi Center.

Maya Nelson will apologize to no one. “No,” the Denver East junior with a bloody nose said with a sheepish grin at the Pepsi Center on Thursday night.

Why should she? The Angels’ 120-pounder made history just by qualifying for the Class 5A preliminaries, the first girl among the state’s big boys. She generated more by winning — Nelson defeated Regis Jesuit’s Carl Campo- santo 13-9 in an action-packed match that arguably drew the most eyes of the evening session.

Of the handful of girls who have made it to state’s final rounds, none have placed. The growing feeling? Nelson is the one.

“That’s definitely the goal, to get on that podium,” she said. “I’m doing my best. Hopefully, I’ll always be getting the win and I’m glad I got the win tonight.”

Angels coach Randy Gallegos, isn’t surprised.

“She’s legit,” he said. “I don’t view Maya as a girl; I view her as a wrestler. And that’s how I coach her. I teach her the same moves I teach everyone else.”

Nelson, from Montbello, has been in love with wrestling since she was 4. She’s always seeking extra lifting, extra stretching, extra running, extra something … she has trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and last summer became cadet and junior freestyle champion. “I just love the competition, just being out there,” she said.

It showed Thursday. Camposanto (now 30-13) appeared to be a tough draw for Nelson, who was the runner-up in her regional and is 29-10. The Regis Jesuit freshman twice held leads over the first two periods before a late Nelson escape forged a 4-4 tie.

And here’s where it turned: Nelson exploded for a five-point move within the first 13 seconds of the final period, then scored additional back points to win the match going away.

“I think you can see that she has talent,” Gallegos said. “She has a lot of heart and a big motor. Her motor is nonstop.”

Pine Creek freshman Juan Rod- riguez, who improved to 35-9, is Nelson’s foe in the quarterfinals.

“She can do it,” Gallegos said. “She’s sound.”

As always with Nelson, who said she was inspired by her father, Joshua, as well as U.S. star and former Colorado competitor Adeline Gray, giving her best with no regrets or apologies is her first priority. Then she can let her mind wander.

“I was always close (to making state),” she said. “But just to be right there and not being able to advance was heartbreaking, so I’m putting in more work. … (But) I think I’ve gained my respect, so (male competitors) don’t see me as a girl on the mat, they see me as a competitor, as a wrestler.

Neil Devlin, originally from the Philadelphia area, has covered high school sports in Colorado for more than 30 years, writing about the people, athletes and events of the Rocky Mountain prep sports world.

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